Ryan Hintze

How To Gain Followers On Instagram

How to gain followers on Instagram (the right way!) If you’re going to spend time creating amazing content for Instagram, you probably want to make sure that content reaches the largest possible audience. But since Instagram doesn’t have any built-in amplification functionality, it can be hard to get new followers through more traditional means. However, there are a few effective (and completely appropriate) things you can do to get more followers on Instagram. Doing this right takes time, but it will absolutely pay off if you keep at it. Here are our four best tips for gaining more followers on Instagram.

Post great content.

First, you need to post content people actually want to see. Instagram is all about the visual aesthetic, so embrace it. Use filters, focus on beautiful imagery and get creative. Don’t simply re-purpose content created for other platforms; instead try to produce photos and videos specifically made for Instagram. Users also like to see content they can’t find somewhere else, so share behind-the-scenes photos, shots from inside your offices and stores, alternate angles or scenes, and so on. And we encourage brands to mix up lifestyle content with product content. The best brand Instagram content shows off a product in an alluring or inspirational way without feeling too much like an advertisement. It’s okay to have a personality on Instagram, so don’t be afraid to let your authentic brand voice show.

Time your posts appropriately.

The most successful Instagram accounts post at least once a day, and typically not more than five times a day. Above all, do not stop posting for long periods of time. It’s okay to skip a day or two here and there, but accounts that stop posting for weeks at time will actually lose followers.

If you’re going to start an Instagram account, make sure you’re committed to maintaining it. If you’re looking for the best time to post to Instagram, post outside traditional US business hours. Instagram users tend to be very active at nights and on the weekends, so use that to your advantage by posting when users are more likely to be paying attention. Many brand and company accounts post between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time Monday through Friday, so you’ll have an opportunity to stand out if you post beyond these hours.

Find and follow interesting people.

There are so many ways to discover new, interesting people on Instagram. Try searching on a hashtag related to a topic you’re interested in, and follow people posting content you like. If fans are talking about you or your brand, give them a follow back and engage with them – they’ll appreciate it. Basically, if you follow new people, many of them will follow you back. One of the best parts of Instagram is all the creative content produced by people all over the world, and following new accounts is a great way to make friends and get inspiration for your own content.

Use hashtags.

Hashtags increase content discover-ability, so use them in your posts. On Instagram, users are actively monitoring hashtags all the time, and adding a hashtag is the single best way we’ve found to get content in front of new audiences. City names and Instagram community tags work great, as do general topic-related and brand tags. And don’t forget to add in a campaign hashtag if you want to focus conversation around a specific topic.

You can easily use 3 or 4 hashtags in one post without cluttering it up too much, and depending on the hashtags you’re using, you can include up to 6 or so without a problem. But generally, we don’t recommend using more than six hashtags in one post. And did you know you can actually add a hashtag as a comment to a post later, and your post will be added as a new post to that hashtag? It’s a great way to increase visibility to a post after the initial surge of engagement has died down.

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